Chusetts



(No Model.)

vH.,D. & D. W. SWIFT.

ENVELOPE MACHINE.

Patented Jul 9, 1896.

5 II. 3, 2 .4 5 nw N qw p vufwgow I }L W s) w) (Ml/5W5 I @513 awe anal Q 7 UNiTE STATES ATENT FFEQE@ HENRY D. swIET AND DANIEL WHEELER SWIFT, or woRcEsrEa, MASSA- CHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE COMPANY, OF sAME PLACE.

ENVELOPE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 54?,355, dated July 9, 1895. Application filed August 10,1888- Serial No. 282,473. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: shown in the accompanying drawings a pick- Be it known that we, HENRY D. SWIFT and up with its actuating-cam and intermediate DANIEL WHEELER SWIFT, citizens of the connecting mechanism by which the pick-up United States, and residents of Worcester, is actuated. We havelalso indicated the relain the county of Worcester and State of Mastive position of a gum'ming-roll as it passes .5 5

sachusetts, have invented certain new and beneath the pick-up. The mechanism, howuseful Improvements in Envelope-Machines, ever, by which the gumming-roll is operated set forth in the annexed specification, conforms no part of our present invention, and taining a full, clear, and exact description of the use of a pick-up having a gumming-roll lo the nature of our. invention, accompanied by with a reciprocating movement passing back drawings showing such parts of an envelopeand forth beneath the gumming-face of the machine as embody ourinvention,which form pick-up is too common in envelope-machines a part of this specification, and in which of this class to require detailed illustration.

Figure 1 represents aside view of a portion We also show the relative position to the ng of the supporting-frame of an envelope-mapick-up of the pile of envelope-blanks held chine, together with the actuating-cam and upon a supporting-table; but the use of such intermediate mechanism by'which the picka supporting-table being old we have not ups are operated. Fig. 2 is a front view of shown its construction in detail in the acthe same; and Fig. 3 is avi'ew, partly in seccomp anying drawings, in which 20 -tion, of the intermediate mechanism by which A denotes a portion of the side frame of an a yielding pressure is imparted to the enenvelope-machine embodying ourinvention.

velope-blank. B is the main shaft, carrying a cam O, by

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the which the pick-ups are operated, different views. D denotes the pick-up, with its under sur- 25 Our invention relates to that class of enface shaped to conform to the gummed survelope-machines in whicha reciprocating face of an envelope-blank. The pick-up is gumming-die is employed to raise the envelcarried by an arm E, extending from a slide ope-blanks successively from a blank-sup- F, sliding in ways in the side of the frame A. porting table, and in which a gumming-roll Journaled in a bearing in the frame A is a 0 having a reciprocating motion is made to pass rocking shaft G, having an arm G attached 8o beneath said dies; and our invention relates to one end and connected by a link G with particularly to that part of the envelope-mathe slide F. Upon the outer or opposite end chine employed in actuating the dies or pickof the rocking shaft G is attached an arm G ups by which the envelope-blanks are we connected bya link H with a lever J, pivoted 35 cessively raised from their supporting-table; upon a 'stud'J', held by the frame A. The leand it consists in providing an actuating ver J carriesacam-rollJ runningin the cammechanism for operating the gumming-dies slot 0 of the cam O. The inner surface C or pickm-ps, by which they are carried into of its rim 0 serves to carry the cam-roll J 2 in M contact with the envelope-blank with a positoward the main shaft B, carrying the slide F 4'o tive motion, butwlth a yielding pressure, and downward and bringing the pick-up D in con- 0 by which the weight of the pick-ups is countact with the pile of envelope-blanks. The

terbalanced through a'spring whosc tension outer surface 0 of the center 0 serves to is applied to raise the pick-up above the gumcarry the roll J 2 outward and away from the ming-roll, and, also, in providing a gage by shaft B and to raise the pick-up from the pile 45 which the aforesaid motion of the pick-ups is V of envelope-blanks. I limited to correspond with the position of the The cam-slot 0', between the dotted radial gumming-roll. lines a and b, is wider than the diameter of As our present invention is concerned only the cam-roll J and the pick-up D is raised a with that portion of the envelope-machine by short distance in excess of the upward throw 0 which the pick-ups are operated, we have only of the cam by means of a spring K,hav1ng IOO one end attached to the arm E and the opposite end supported by the post L, attached to the frame A. The tension of the spring K is strong enough to slightly more than counterbalance the weight of the pickup D, arm E,

and slide F, and when the cam-roll J is passa to the line I) out of contact, while from a to c the roll J is carried in and the pick-up D moved down into contact with an envelopeblank.

Then the pick-up is raised to its highest point a gumming-roll N may pass beneath it, imparting a coating of gum to the under surface of the pick-up, and it is important that the pick-up be raised uniformly to a determined position at each upward movement in order that the gumming-roll N may pass be neath it with an equal pressure upon the surface of the pick-up. This uniform upward movement is determined by means of the screw M, serving to stop the upward motion of the spring-actuated slide F. The screw M also allows an adjustment of the motion of the slide and pickup to correspond with the position of the gumming-roll or the amount of pressure required upon the pick-up.

The edge 0 of the cam-center 0", between the points a and b, would serve to raise the pick-up suiliciently to allow the gummingroll to pass beneath it in case the spring should fail to act, and the spring would raise the pick-up above the rollN should the cam C fail through the breaking of the intermediate mechanism.

The pick-up is forced down upon the pile of envelope-blanks O by the cam G through the link H, which consists of the bifurcated blocks 01 and e, pivoted to the arm G and lever J. To the block e is attached a rodf, which passes through a washerg and through the elastic washer h and holej in the block d. The rod f is screw-threaded and carries a nut '7c resting against the washer g.

The power exerted by the cam G in carrying the pick-up D upon the pile of envelopeblanks is in the direction of the arrow 2 and the force will be communicated from the rod f to the block d through the elastic washer h, and as the rod f is capable of sliding in the block d, any resistance greater than the elasticity of the washer h will cause the washer h to be slightly compressed and a. yielding pressure to be imparted to the pick-up upon the pile of envelope-blanks.

We are aware that a yielding connection between the pick-up and its actuating-cam is not new, and we do not claim such broadly. By the device above described we secure a more convenient means of adjustment, as the pressure of the elastic washer h is received by the nut k, which allows an adjustment by simply moving the nut along the screwthreaded rod f without requiring a change in the position of the rod itself.

What we claim as ourinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a reciprocating pickup for gumming the envelope blank, and a gumming roll for distributing gum upon the under surface of said pickup, of a spring with its tension applied to raise said pickup, and operating mechanism by which said pickup is carried upon the pile of envelope blanks with a positive motion, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a pickup having a reciprocating motion and a gumming roll for distributing a coating of gum upon said pickup, of a spring whose tension is applied to said pickup to raise it above the gumming roll, and a gage by which its upward motion is determined, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a vertically reciprocating pickup, of a spring with its tension applied to counterbalance the Weight of said pickup and an actuating cam, by which said pickup is raised and lowered, through intermediate operating mechanism, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a reciprocating pickup of an actuating cam by which said pickup is reciprocated in one direction and carried upon the envelope blanks and partially reciprocated in the opposite direction, and a spring whose tension is applied to said pickup to complete the reciprocating motion of the pickup in one direction, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a pickup for gumming the envelope blanks, and having a reciprocating motion, an actuating cam by which said pickup is reciprocated in one direction and partially in the opposite direction, a spring with its tension applied to said pickup to complete its reciprocation, and a gage to limit its motion as actuated by said spring, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the pickupD having a reciprocating motion, an actuating cam 0, provided with a cam slot by which said pickup is carried upon the envelope blanks, a spring K applied to said pickup to complete the motion of said pickup, and an adjustable stop to limit the motion of said pickup as actuated by said spring, and intermediate mechanism between said cam and said pickup, substantially as described.

HENRY D. SWIFT. D. WHEELER SWIFT. Witnesses:

RUFUS B. FOWLER, CHAS. F. SCHMELZ. 

